Lu Mingzhe only discovered that something was wrong on the third day.
Previously, when he messaged Xiang Wan, she had replied to him diligently.
The morning of the third day, when he tried to message her again, it suddenly wouldn't send.
WeChat indicated he had been blocked.
Lu Mingzhe suspected he was still groggy from sleep and had misread.
How could Xiang Wan possibly block him!
He sent several more messages, and only when his screen was filled with glaring red exclamation marks did he realize it was real.
What was going on?
They had said goodnight to each other before sleeping last night, so how could he be blocked first thing in the morning?
He suspected a system bug and quickly called Xiang Wan.
Her phone also didn't connect, indicating it was a non-existent number.
Lu Mingzhe panicked and quickly got up to wash, then called Xiang Yang to ask if Xiang Wan's phone had any issues.
"Did your sister lose her phone? Was her password cracked, her WeChat hacked, and her number cancelled? Otherwise, it's impossible!"
Xiang Yang didn't know how to explain his situation. Hearing his disbelieving voice, he felt immense pain and conflict, but could only say that his situation was the same as his.
"Something must have happened to your sister!"
Lu Mingzhe was extremely anxious.
"She's pregnant, and there's an elderly person with her. What if something happens..."
He dared not imagine the consequences.
"I'm going back to find her now. Do you want to take leave and come with me?"
Xiang Yang pretended to be flustered and agreed.
They both took leave and returned to the small county town.
However, no one was home.
When they asked the neighbors, they were told that they had already left the day before, by car.
"Xiang Wan said she was taking their grandmother on a trip, so we didn't ask where."
How could this be?
Could something have happened to Xiang Wan while she was traveling with their grandmother?
Lu Mingzhe was so anxious he was going crazy. He slammed his fist hard on the steering wheel and said,
"Let's go report to Jingjing!"
"Damn it, if anyone dares to mess with my woman, I won't let them off when I find them!"
At this point, Xiang Yang could no longer distinguish between who was right and who was wrong between him and his sister.
But he absolutely did not want to see Lu Mingzhe bumping into walls like a headless fly.
"Don't look anymore. My sister plans to break up with you and won't be coming back."
Lu Mingzhe suspected that his state of mind upon waking up that morning was not right, as all his organs seemed to be malfunctioning throughout the day.
His eyes weren't working well, and neither were his ears.
"What did you say? Say it again."
Xiang Yang then recounted Xiang Wan's recent experiences and his mother's actions to him.
"My sister didn't know how to tell you they were breaking up in person, so she left."
"She said to live well and listen to your family. She told me to study hard and support myself in the future. She's not coming back."
Lu Mingzhe was not only shocked but also felt a strong sense of disbelief.
He had been deceiving himself, believing that Xiang Wan's recent troubles had nothing to do with his mother, but...
However, he had gone through so much with Xiang Wan.
He had given her his all, loved her wholeheartedly every day, so how could she suspect anyone, how could she doubt his sincerity?
"Nonsense! Impossible! She won't break up with me."
"I've already severed ties with my mother for her, doesn't she understand my true feelings? What more does she want from me?"
"Besides, she's pregnant. Why should she break up with me? You two must have contact. Give me your phone, I need to call her!"
Xiang Yang handed him his phone, letting him check as he pleased.
Similarly, WeChat was blocked, and the phone number was invalid.
Lu Mingzhe still refused to believe: "Stop lying to me! What did you two do when you went out that night? Were you plotting to leave me?"
"Good for you, Xiang Yang! I've always treated you with such sincerity, and at a crucial moment, you actually..."
"You two definitely have other contact methods, don't force me to get physical with you, hand them over!"
Xiang Yang looked like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.
"You can hit me or scold me as you please. Consider it payment for the benefits I received from you a while ago."
"I can't help you with my sister's matters. I really don't have her contact information."
Lu Mingzhe was furious and grabbed him by the neck.
"Impossible! You are her only brother, her own brother! She said she worked so hard all for you! How could she not be in contact with you?"
"Stop lying to me! Hand it over quickly, lest you suffer physical pain!"
But no matter how he threatened, Xiang Yang's answer was the same.
"I don't know, I really don't. Take my phone, look through it as much as you want."
Lu Mingzhe was almost choked with anger.
The news of Xiang Wan's departure came too suddenly, and he could not accept it at all.
He dragged Xiang Yang out of the car and slapped him hard several times.
"You think I really wouldn't dare to lay a hand on you? You think I have no way to deal with you? You're so stubborn, I'll cripple you today!"
"I don't believe Xiang Wan is so heartless that she would stand by and watch me beat you to death!"
"Then beat me to death. Let's see if she appears."
Blood seeped from Xiang Yang's lips, but he seemed not to feel any pain.
"Actually, you should be happy. Your family no longer has to be related to us poor folk."
"You can marry a woman who matches your status and position in the future. Your mother will be happy, and your whole family will be happy. Why put on such a show of deep affection?"
Lu Mingzhe's hands trembled with rage.
"What kind of bullshit are you spewing! When have I ever looked down on you? Huh? When have I ever looked down on your poverty?!"
"If I looked down on you, I would never have started a relationship with her, let alone fallen out with my family for her! Do you have any conscience saying this?"
"I'll ask you one last time, are you going to hand it over or not? If not, I'll drive my car and kill you today!"
He shoved Xiang Yang to the ground.
Xiang Yang closed his eyes, appearing resigned to his fate.
"There's nothing to hand over. The phone is yours. You can monitor it 24 hours a day. If I've told a single lie, may lightning strike me dead."
In his rage, Lu Mingzhe kicked Xiang Yang away, took his phone, and drove back to Nancheng, weary and dust-covered.
He went to confront his mother, questioning why she had harmed him this way.
His mother said earnestly: "I told you long ago, she's not worth it. She's involved with that Tang Haichao..."
Tang Haichao?
Lu Mingzhe remembered the business card he had seen before. He knew the address and angrily rushed to Tang Haichao's studio.
However, the security guard told him.
The studio had encountered major problems a while ago, and they were no longer operating.
"The lease was terminated, and they left days ago."
It felt as if someone had reached into his stomach and gripped his internal organs, causing Lu Mingzhe such pain that he couldn't speak.
Xiang Wan was gone, and Tang Haichao's studio had been deregistered.
What in the hell was going on?
He drove to Xiang Wan's studio again.
When the staff saw him, they asked him instead.
"Sister Wan transferred the studio, why didn't she tell us?"
"The day before yesterday, someone came with the contract to complete the handover. We were all stunned."